MARCH 07 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#08 “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)

MARCH 07  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  JQ#08 “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4)

LIVING FOR JESUS Daily Prayer   

JESUS, Lord, Savior, the Prince of Peace, my Redeemer, what Joy it is to awake to a new day and to know that I will not have to face this world alone for You are with me. Lord forgive me of the many years I spent running to my sin which is nothing more than running away from You. Thank You Jesus for showing me that it is my sin that separates me from You and that it is the purity of our lives lived through Your strength that draws us nearer to You — I pray to always be moving towards the Savior that my Joy may be made full.    AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JESUS addressed a very personal issue which is universal to mankind when He addressed “evil” in JQ#08 “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” (Matthew 9:4) Our natural tendency is to suspect that the “evil” addressed by Jesus was directed at those that had chosen to follow man’s law instead of accepting the Truth of God. Indeed, Jesus had pointed out that God is not limited to what the Pharisees and their interpretation of what God “really meant to say” and by the Pharisee’s usurping the Power of God, their actions indeed are “evil”. God cannot be restricted in His Power and His Divine Sovereignty by anyone or anything so for the scribes to witness God’s Power being displayed through His Only Begotten Son in the healing of the paralytic, the Pharisees  should have reasoned that if only God can do the things that Jesus was doing, then Jesus must be God!!! Instead  “at once” the scribes passed judgement on Jesus based on the Pharisees laws and accused Jesus of blasphemy! Jesus knew what was in their hearts so He immediately asked the scribes who were blinded by the “legalism” of their day a second question, that if answered in the Spirit of Truth, would result in their faith being elevated to the point that their spiritual blindness would be healed and they would be able to see that Jesus was what He said He was, the SON OF GOD sent to do the work of THE FATHER. The second question Jesus asked the “evil” scribes immediately was JQ#8b, “For which is easier, to say ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say ‘Arise and walk’?” (Matthew 9:5) which Jesus knew could only be answered by saying that “Only God” could heal the paralytic and “Only God” can forgive sins so both are above the power of men and only possible through the Power of God!  Jesus didn’t leave them hanging as He  immediately told them the answer: “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” — then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (Matthew 9:6) Just as Jesus pointed out that the “evil in their hearts” was the fruit of their unbelief in Him, He immediately gave them a visual to prove He was God as Jesus commanded the paralytic to “Arise”. We witness the fruit of the paralytic’s belief in Jesus because the paralytic “arose and departed to his house”! (Matthew 9:7) Jesus never leaves us hanging and He always makes it clear what answer we should give. The case of the scribes and the paralytic are no different. The scribes refused to see the Truth of God and therefore the “fruit of their faith in the doctrines of men” was “evil hearts” whereas the paralytic believed Jesus and the “fruit of his faith in God” was “healing”. Both the scribes and the paralytic heard Jesus but it was the paralytic that believed Jesus had the Power to Heal so he received healing and the scribes refused to acknowledge what they had witnessed so their hearts remained “evil”. It was the tradition of the Jews that it only took two witnesses and in this case there was a “multitude” of witnesses and the verdict of the multitude was that they “marveled and glorified God” — Jesus is indeed guilty — guilty of being the Son of God! Jesus gives us the Truth of God but it is up to us to “Arise and walk”!